Branding Checkup: MillerCoors Refreshes Look, Messaging for Blue Moon

Chris Furnari

Mar. 16, 2016 at 4:03 PM

Blue Moon is no longer artfully crafted. The 21-year old craft brand has ditched its old tagline for messaging aimed at “shifting the conversation” to include consumers’ creativity and to “recruit new consumers into craft.”

“Creativity is at the core of Blue Moon,” said Ryan Hemsing, the director of marketing for the MillerCoors-owned brand. “We wanted to continue to stay true to the roots of the brand while shifting from our creativity to the creativity of our consumers.”

In doing so, the company has unveiled an entirely new look for the brand, as well as the new “Something’s Brewing” campaign.

“Consumers have evolved significantly,” Hemsing told Brewbound. “We wanted to make sure we were talking to them and by rearticulating the brand message, we feel that we will start a new conversation with drinkers.”

Calling it a “gateway beer,” Hemsing said the new commercials and the new packaging, would help cement Blue Moon and its flagship Belgian White Ale as a leading craft brand that “introduces consumers to craft.”

The packaging, which hasn’t been updated in about 15 years, will hit markets on April 1.

“It was very important to us that we didn’t lose the brand’s DNA,” Hemsing said. “What we tried to do was elevate the brand, which allowed us to be more confident and sophisticated.”

The new labels are cleaner, more simplified and noticeably emphasize the moon.

“Blue Moon is a very well-established brand on-premise,” he said. “We wanted to understand what was unique and special about that and find ways to bring some of those experiences to the off-trade with our packaging. “

The commercial campaign, meanwhile, is aimed at “celebrating the notion that creativity is always brewing,” Hemsing said. The first focuses on brewmaster Keith Villa’s inspiration for brewing Blue Moon Belgian White, but two additional spots that will air in the third and fourth quarters will look to tap into food and music.

“Creativity has never been so accessible and approachable to consume and make,” the company wrote in a statement. “Everyone’s approach is different and letting people inside the creative process can encourage and inspire all of us to create meaningful moments and elevated experiences.”

Sales of Blue Moon Belgian White are up 10.8 percent year-to-date, according to data from market research firm IRI Worldwide.

The decision to “pivot from a position of strength,” as Hemsing noted, also comes at a time when the company is building a new brewery is in Denver’s RiNo Arts District. Though still under construction, the new facility will be able to produce about 10,000 barrels annually and is slated to open this summer.

You can check out the rebranding effort, as well as the first “Something’s Brewing” spot below.

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